Jeff Bezos Drops $12.9 Million on Neighbor’s House in Beverly Hills

The off-market deal adds another half-acre to his Los Angeles-area spread

Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos—who for a fleeting few hours was the richest person in the world last week after company shares spiked on an earnings report—is buying up Beverly Hills.

Mr. Bezos, 53, who is back at No. 2 behind Microsoft Corp. founder Bill Gates, spent $12.9 million on the house next door to his Beverly Hills mansion in an off-market deal two weeks ago, according to property records. The Los Angeles Times was the first to report the purchase.

The online retail scion, worth an estimated $85 billion, bought the home on North Alpine Drive through the Seattle-based Redwood Trust, the same entity he used to purchase a bordering parcel for $24.45 million a decade ago, according to property records.

The new home adds another half-acre to Mr. Bezos’s spread in Beverly Hills, bringing his estate to around 2.5 acres. The two parcels form a somewhat awkward horseshoe around one of his neighbors, leading one to wonder if the tech chieftain will buy out the monkey-in-the-middle as well.

Images and information about the home are scant, as Mr. Bezos’s house wasn’t marketed on the multiple listing service. Data entered last month with Los Angeles County says the “contemporary”-style single-story home, built in 1956, spans around 4,500 square feet and has four bedrooms and six bathrooms.

Google Maps images show a large pool in the backyard, which abuts Mr. Bezos’s larger spread. The home he purchased in 2007 is a solar-paneled, Spanish-style mansion with a lap pool, tennis court and manicured gardens, images of the house show.

A spokesperson for Amazon.com did not immediately respond to a request for comment.